beginning to see by sujata pen-art by julio lynch this book is dedicated to the 9 to 5ers and everybody else a collection of epigrams about the problem of living and the freedom to be gained through meditation much sufferingcomes into thelife of one whotries to be anywherebut herein this presentmoment are you content with where you are right now? because "right nows" are all you have there is nothingin this life that we canhave for very long things and peoplecome ... then leave us ... an immense amount of fear is created if we spend our lives dodging pain an immense amount of fear is created if we spend our lives dodging pain an immense amount of fear is created if we spend our lives dodging pain the world continually demands that we direct our attention outside ourselves meditation teaches us to revolt and turn that awareness toward our insides ... painful feelings * in the mind indicate wrong attitudes about lifemeditation can show us what we're doing wrong we live our lives fearfully yaw cificeps ego
Procrastination and the Long Queue I taught my first class last week at the Center for Digital Imaging Arts in Waltham. I’ll write up my thoughts on the experience some other time, but what’s on my mind right now is how the pressure of producing something everyday created a different working mentality. This week, as I start catching up on a half-dozen projects with looming deadlines, I’m again struck by the difference between last week and this week. Last week, I only had time to focus on what was going to happen either right now (in the classroom) or the next immediate day. This week, faced with a list of dozens of things to get out of the way, each with a somewhat flexible deadline, I am back to my old ways, figuring out: what to do firstwhat’s more importantwhat’s the best way to approach the project Prior to my recent teaching experience, I would have said there’s nothing wrong with that list. Ready are you? Fear and Anticipation Recognizing the fear, happily, is part of the solution. Reduction to Practice
Structured Procrastination Ways to Improve Human Intelligence This briefing is intended to pull into one convenient, single frame of reference a body of key information which currently is scattered across a great many different contexts. Until recently, even the possibility of any such information existing was, for essentially political reasons and funding reasons, denied by most of our institutions, together with most of our educators and psychologists, so that such findings as were made in various contexts and circumstances never got discussed across a broader context. Now that it is evident that the brain, and one's intelligence, are highly changeable and that a wide variety of conditions, arrangements and techniques may be employed to improve both brain functioning and intelligence to even a profound degree, we need to make a start on getting a lot of this key information organized to where you and other inquirers can more readily get at it, understand it, and use it. Menu of Methods Quick Interjection 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
The 10 Best Self Development Books Of 2010 | A Daring Adventure inShare0 I usually wrap up the year by reviewing the best books on self development that were published during the preceding 12 months. I thought I’d pull it forward a week or two this year though just in case you are wondering about last minute stocking fillers for friends and family. Not only am I going to list my top 10 non-fiction books, but I’m also going to order them. Disclosure: All the titles are hyperlinks to the books on Amazon (except one) and I can earn up to a staggering 6% commission if you buy one. 10. If you want to understand motivation more clearly, then Drive is a good starting point. I you have read Flow and either of Dan Ariely’s books I doubt much of this will be brand spanking new to you, but if you haven’t, then it should offer real value and a window into how you really motivate yourself and others. Note: Don’t get the audiobook version, Dan Pink may possess the most boring monotone voice on the planet. 9. Well yeh fairly ridiculous I admit. 8. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.
Good and Bad Procrastination December 2005 The most impressive people I know are all terrible procrastinators. So could it be that procrastination isn't always bad? Most people who write about procrastination write about how to cure it. But this is, strictly speaking, impossible. There are three variants of procrastination, depending on what you do instead of working on something: you could work on (a) nothing, (b) something less important, or (c) something more important. That's the "absent-minded professor," who forgets to shave, or eat, or even perhaps look where he's going while he's thinking about some interesting question. That's the sense in which the most impressive people I know are all procrastinators. What's "small stuff?" Good procrastination is avoiding errands to do real work. Good in a sense, at least. Some errands, like replying to letters, go away if you ignore them (perhaps taking friends with them). In fact, it may not be a difference in degree, but a difference in kind.
Correcting Creativity: The Struggle for Eminence | Guest Blog By the time he put the finishing touches on the Rite of Spring in November of 1912 in the Châtelard Hotel in Clarens, Switzerland, Stravinsky had spent three years studying Russian pagan rituals, Lithuanian folk songs and crafting the dissonant sacre chord, in which an F-flat major combines with an E-flat major with added minor seventh. The rehearsal process wasn’t easy either. Stravinsky fired the German pianist and the orchestra and performers only had a few opportunities to practice at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, where the Rite debuted in May 1913. Stravinsky is one of seven eminent creators of the 20st century profiled by Harvard professor Howard Gardner in his 1993 book Creating Minds. The psychology of creativity–both empirical research and popular literature for the lay audience–misses this. For Gardner, eminent creators are locked into a Faustian bargain, in which fulfilling their vision comes at the cost of an otherwise fulfilling personal life: • Thanks Milena Z.
The Art of Continuous Self-Development The art of continuous self-development can be summed up in a single word. Change. The Japanese have added goodness to this simple concept through their term Kaizen. Kaizen literally means the following: “To become good through change.” As such, Kaizen is a great practice for improving your personal workflow and exercising self-development. Kaizen was introduced to the world shortly after World War II as a means of improving the workplace and boosting corporate personnel productivity. The principals of Kaizen are simple. 1. “Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow. ” - Doug Firebaugh The art of kaizen in self-development is not to make huge upheavals in your life. All you need to do to begin practicing your personal Kaizen is to choose one area in which to make improvements. 2. “If you have an hour, will you not improve that hour, instead of idling it away?” In addition, the waste you are trying to eliminate could also include wasted thoughts. 3.
30 Challenges for 30 Days Did you know that it takes 30 days to form a new habit? The first few days are similar as to how you would imagine the birth of a new river. Full of enthusiasm it gushes forth, only to be met by strong obstacles. The path is not clear yet, and your surroundings don’t agree. Old habits urge you to stay the same. So, take a moment to reflect on the question ‘Who do I want to be in 5 years?’ Check out this short TED talk first to get inspired: Now pick one or more challenges and stick with them! However, be cautioned, picking too many challenges at the same time can easily result in a failure of all of them. #1 Write a I-Like-This-About-You note/text/email each day for someone (Easy) This is the perfect way to let someone else know you care. #2 Talk to one stranger each day (Hard) This is a great one to cure approaching anxiety. #3 Take one picture each day (Hard) This one gets harder nearing the end of the challenge because at one point you will run out of the easy shots. We recommend:
Sleep and Your Productivity Several months ago, Gail and I were sitting in the den after a quiet dinner. I had been traveling extensively, and this was the first evening I had been home in days. I said to her, “I don’t know what it is, but I feel really discouraged.” Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/sswartz We talked about several possible causes. After thinking about it a moment, I replied, “Yes, I think that’s exactly it. It’s easy to confuse the two. By that, they meant that you can’t get up early and stay up late. The psalmist said, It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.” Once again, I was reminded that I have to actively manage my energy level. Of all the things that affect my energy and productivity, nothing is more important than getting a good night’s sleep. Here’s how I make sure I get a good night’s sleep: Avoid caffeinated drinks in the evening. Questions: How important is sleep for you?